Sup Kacang Merah

This red kidney bean soup is very simple. Unlike brenebon (Manadonese kidney bean soup) and angeun bereum (West Javanese kidney bean soup) that use many spices, this soup only needs the common soup spices: garlic, salt and pepper. But the taste is still very hearty. It's perfect for the lazy weekend like today. 

Here I use fresh kidney bean but surely we can use canned or the dried one. Red kidney bean is highly nutritious but can also be dangerous. As I once read in a book, if I am not mistaken it is Food Combining book by Andang Gunawan, sprouted bean is poisonous. So we have to discard kidney bean that are already sprouted. We also have to soak the dried bean and discard the water then boil them in a new water until cooked through because partially cooked or under-cooked kidney bean will increase the toxic effect. They can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. But don't be too worry about that, I already eat red kidney bean regularly for years and feel really good so far... 

Ingredients:

water

250 gr beef, diced

100 gr fresh red kidney bean

2 carrots

1 cauliflower

2 tomatoes

1 spring onion, finely sliced

2 celery

3 garlic

small amount of nutmeg (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Fried shallots

Avoid eating sprouted and under-cooked kidney bean. It's toxic!

Direction:

Pound garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Saute it on low heat until fragrant. Set aside. 
Place water and beef in a pan. Put the pan on the stove and cook until the water boils. The fat from the beef will float to the surface. Scoop out that scum with a spoon.
When the beef are tender, add in kidney bean, carrot and spices. 
Add in cauliflower, tomato, spring onion and celery. 
Place on the bowls, enjoy warm garnished with fried shallots.

Roti Singkong (Cassava Bread)

This was my second roti singkong. The first one was about a month ago. I used roti kentang recipe at that time but substitute the potato with cassava. It turned out not bad actually, rose well and soft, but it was a bit chewy and very satisfying. We could only eat one, no more... I thought that maybe it was because the cassava and potato have different texture. Maybe, in bread making especially, cassava and potato were not an equal substitution.  

So, this time I reduced the amount of cassava. I also added water while mashing the cassava until it was smooth like a paste. And it worked. This cassava bread was so so much better than before. It rose higher, softer and not chewy anymore. I added cocoa powder to some part of the dough and formed it into flower and pull-apart shape. I got the idea of the flower from mba Hesti's blog but mine was turned out not as pretty as hers. The dough was sticky make it a bit hard to be handled.

I made this bread as the snack for my children when they did the rehearsal for the akhirussanah (graduation ceremony) at their school yesterday. Iban, my son, finished his TK (kindergarten) this year and will go to SD (elementary school) next July. Congratulation Iban. We are so proud of you. 

Potato bread with beef floss and custard-cheese

I like to dissolve instant yeast in some lukewarm water before I start making bread. With this way, I will know whether my yeast is still fresh or not. In about 10 - 15 minutes, the fresh yeast will frothy while the dead yeast will keep staying like it is, not changing at all. If I find my yeast frothy then it means good, I can continue making bread. If it is dead? throw it in the sink and start again with another yeast. Dead yeast doesn't work!

So, when I see a recipe that need 100 ml cold water like this potato bread recipe I used here, I will divided it into 2: 30 - 50 ml warm water and 70 - 50 ml cold water. Why? Because yeast likes warm and comfortable environment to live. How warm? As warm as we feel comfort. So, usually I pour warm water into a cup and I dip my finger in it. If my finger can stay there comfortably, so can the yeast. 

Roti kentang

by sajian sedap

Ingredients:

100 ml icy cold water (me: 50 ml warm+ 5o ml cold)

2 tsp instant yeast

100 gr potato, steamed and mashed (me: 200 gr)

400 gr bread flour (me: 500 gr)

75 gr sugar 

15 gr milk powder

75 gr margarine (me: 60 ml oil)

2 eggs (me: 3 egg yolk)

egg yolk for egg wash 

Beef floss

mayonaise
sweet condensed milk

custard

grated cheddar cheese

Method

• Dissolve yeast in 50 ml warm water. Set aside.
• Combine mashed potato, flour, milk powder, sugar, and egg with a wooden spoon.
• When the yeast is already frothy, pour it into the mixture.
• Pour the cold water little by little (we may not use all the water, just as needed) and knead until all are well blended. We can use the mixer with the dough hook or just our hands.
• Add oil (or margarine/butter if you like) and salt and knead again until the dough is elastic. 
• Round the dough into a big ball and put in the greased big bowl. Cover with cling wrap or damp tea towel and let rise until double in size for about 60 minutes.
• Punch the dough. Knead again briefly.
• Cut the dough into 35 gr each, roll it into an oval shape and place it on a greased baking pan.  
• Cover and let rise again for another 60 minutes or so.
• Heat the oven. Brush the bread with egg yolk. Bake until golden brown.
• For the custard-cheese, slice lengthwise the bread, pipe the custard in the middle and sprinkle with cheese. For beef floss bread, mix mayonnaise and sweet condensed milk with the ratio 2:1. Spread the the mixture on the bread and sprinkle with lot of beef floss.

Enjoy ...

Purple sweet potato pao

This was my first pao or bakpao in Indonesia. For so long I though that it was difficult to make a bakpao. At least it required special flour (pao or tang mien flour) and white butter (shortening) that are not easy to find around. Then I saw this pao in mba Hesti's blog. She just used all purpose flour and oil. I was so happy and decided to give it a go.

The ingredients and methods were similar to those at bread making, only that at the final step we steam the pao rather than bake it. I form some pao into buns  and some others into the rose like what was described in wendy inkk's blog. I fill the bun with chocolate rice and the rose with Indonesian style red kidney bean paste. Unlike other red bean paste, Indonesian style used red kidney bean not red bean and coconut milk.

I think my pao was a bit over - fermented. The roses were bloom sooo big ... ha ha... but they were so soft. I packed some of them in Rachel's snack box and she shared them with her friends. All of them said this pao was so00 good. I felt like making pao again soon :) 

Ingredients:

for pao:
from mba Hesti's blog

125 gr steamed purple sweet potato
100 ml water
250 gr all purpse flour
1/2 tsp baking powder (I didn't use it)
50 gr sugar
25 gr shortening (I use oil)
1/8 tsp salt
6 gr instant yeast

for red kidney bean paste:
from Kue special dalam cup by sedap

100 gr dries red kidney bean, soak overnight
1 lt water
2 pandan leaves
1/8 tsp salt
125 gr sugar
75 ml thick coconut milk

Direction:

For red kidney bean paste:
Boil red kidney bean and pandan until tender. Set aside to cool.
When they are already cool, mash them in a food processor or blander.
Transfer them to a pan. Add in sugar, salt and coconut milk. Stir constantly over a low heat until it cook through and paste-like. Set aside to cool.

For the pao:
Dissolve yeast in half of the water.
Combine all except oil and mix to form a dough.
Put in oil and knead until the dough is smooth.
Cover and let the dough proof until double in size for about 1 hour.
Punch down dough and knead for 1 - 2 minutes.
Divide dough into 35 gr for chocolate and red kidney bean paste bun and 15 gr each for rose bun and form into a rose or as you wish.
Cover and let the formed dough proof for another 45 minutes.
Steam on high for 12 minutes.
Enjoy!

I am submitting this post to aspiring bakers # 31 Bao Ho Chiak 
hosted by Miss B of everybody eats well in Flanders

Bakwan jagung jamur

Bakwan jagung or corn fritter is one of our favourites. 

I usually make it without measurement. 

Just combine all the ingredients:

flours (all purpose and a little bit rice flour), 

corn kernel, 

grated carrot, 

finely sliced spring onion,

 egg, 

water, 

garlic, 

shallot, 

salt and pepper. 

Then, fry it until golden brown. 

Sometimes I like it thin and crispy but other time I prefer it soft and fluffy.

One thing for sure, eat them hot with chili and a cup of tea...

This time I sneak oyster mushroom to the batter. 

Nothing change. 

My children still gobble them all up. 

I am submitting this post to little thumbs up event this month, organised by Zoe of bake for happy kids, Mui mui of my little favourites DIY, and Joyce of kitchen flavour.